Investigation launched into Kerry BSE case

An investigation is underway by the Department of Agriculture and Food after the another three-year-old cow was found to have…

An investigation is underway by the Department of Agriculture and Food after the another three-year-old cow was found to have BSE.

The animal, which was born in February 1999, is the fifth-youngest found with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in the State.

The Department said the animal was a Friesian cow, located in a Kerry dairy herd. Four weeks ago a three-year old bull was discovered with BSE in a Co Limerick herd approximately 20 miles from this week's find. The animals were born within one week of each other.

In the Co Limerick case, investigations concentrated on a farm silo used to store poultry feed up until the end of 1996 and for the storage of cattle fodder from 1998.

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The were five other BSE cases confirmed this week in Counties Kerry, Carlow, Limerick, Mayo, Cork and Waterford. So far this year 333 of cases have been confirmed.

In a statement the department said the controls in place are working and that the trends remain positive.

David Labanyi

David Labanyi

David Labanyi is the Head of Audience with The Irish Times